1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a support for a sign, and more particularly to a flexible support which is adjustable in length and a method for using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97-1.99
In the sale of merchandise through retail outlets, it is desirable to advertise an item offered for sale to attract customers attention to the item in order to sell more of that item. Thus, when advertising products, it is of advantage to display descriptive information to indicate the item being sold in order to attract the customers attention.
Since items for purchase are located on shelves and in bins of various configurations, a variety of advertising apparatuses have been developed to attract customers attention to the items being sold. Advertising apparatuses of the type having a flexible member and ways of securing the flexible member to a sign member are well known. However, none of the advertising apparatuses provide means for adjustably engaging the flexible member to position a sign member to a desired distance from the base. This can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,461, to Orta et el. issued Oct. 5, 1982; U.S. Pat. No. 2,895,246, to Mengee issued Jul. 21, 1959; U.S. Pat. No. 2,133,824, to Meisel issued Oct. 18, 1938; U.S. Pat. No. 1,224,582, to Vandergrift issued May 1, 1917; and U.S. Pat. No. 233,958 to Wetmore issued Nov. 2, 1880.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,328, to Tanney issued Nov. 27, 1973; U.S. Pat. No. 2,981,018 to Hoppet el. issued Apr. 15, 1961; U.S. Pat. No. 1,772,126 to Kelsea issued Jul. 22, 1930; and British Patent No. 1,220,674 to Pegg issued Jan. 27, 1968, provide for a flexible member and means for securing the flexible member to the sign member and a support member secured to the base. However, the support member in each of the above stated patents does not adjustably engage the flexible member to position the sign member to a desired distance from the base. In other words, the sign member is not adjustable in distance relative to the base.
Additionally, none of the above stated patents provide a method for engaging at least a portion of the flexible member to an adjustable engagement secured to the base at a desired position along the flexible member to position the sign member to a desired distance from the base. In other words, no method is provided for engaging the sign member in adjustable positions from the base.
Furthermore, none of the advertising apparatuses provide for means of supporting the flexible member at a location spaced apart from the securing means in which the sign member and a portion of the flexible member between the supporting means and the sign member are rotatable relative to the supporting means. This can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,981,018 to Ropp et al. issued Apr. 15, 1961; U.S. Pat. No. 2,895,246, to Menges issued Jul. 21, 1959; U.S. Pat. No. 2,133,824, to Meisel issued Oct. 18, 1938; U.S. Pat. No. 1,224,582, to Vandergrift issued May 1, 1917; U.S. Pat. No. 233,958 to Wetmore issued Nov. 2, 1880; U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,328 to Tanney issued Nov. 27, 1973; U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,461, to Orta et al. issued Oct. 5, 1982; and British Pat. No. 1,220,674 to Pegg issued Jan. 27, 1968.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,772,126 to Kelsea issued Jul. 22, 1930, does not provide for supporting means of the flexible member at a location spaced apart from the securing means, in which the sign member and a portion of the flexible member between the supporting means and the sign member are rotatable relative to the supporting means.